With Nebraska off to its worst nine-game start since 1960, athletic director Shawn Eichorst released a letter to fans Monday expressing confidence that "the future is bright" under first-year coach Mike Riley.

Time to take the Big Ten’s bowl temperature. That means checking in with the great Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com. No changes at the top, but Illinois and Nebraska have fallen from Palm’s projections. That drops the Big Ten’s projected bowl teams from 10 to eight.

It was great to see Corey Clement back on the field. And, he looked good vs. Rutgers. He will be an NFL player—at least that’s his plan. After rushing 11 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns Saturday against Rutgers, Clement intimated the NFL remains an option after this season and he will eventually discuss the matter with head coach Paul Chryst. “Who knows at the end of this year who brings what to the table?” he said. “I’ve still got to talk to coach Chryst and he’ll tell me if it is a good idea or not. But at

Think you had a good Sunday? It paled in comparison to Drew Brees’ day. The former Purdue quarterback threw an NFL record-tying seven touchdowns, to go along with a career-high 511 yards passing, to help the New Orleans Saints edge the New York Giants, 52-49, in the most entertaining game of the weekend. Brees finished the historic day 40 of 50 through the air, good enough for an 80 percent completion percentage, for the non-math majors out there. Seven other quarterbacks have thrown seven touchdowns in a single game in NFL history. See the full list, which includes George Blanda,

When it comes to violins and other stringed instruments, the artistry isn’t just in the way they’re played. It’s also in how they’re made. Both of those aspects of the violin captured Thomas Sparks as a boy growing up in northern New Jersey. There was something about the instrument’s sound and shape that immediately appealed to him. “It’s the king of the string instruments,” he said. “It’s pretty appealing with the sound and the voice. The way it is able to project is amazing.” The violin has fascinated Sparks ever since. For nearly 30 years, the visiting lecturer in instrument

The beat goes on for Iowa, which can smell perfection from here. Purdue finally tasted Big Ten victory, while the unimaginable hard times continue for Nebraska. As for Minnesota … that loss to Michigan is gonna leave a mark.